From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has decried the growing number of out-of-school children in the country.
Director, Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Folake Olatunji-David, stated this at the pre-paunch of the Bridging Learning Opportunities for Out-of-School Minors (BLOOM) project, by Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), in Abuja.
Olatunji-David said: “When children are out-of-school, it affects global and regional development as Nigeria accounts for the largest global and regional share of out-of-school children.
“With this project aiming to enroll 2million out-of-school children into the education system within the next five years, there will be a remarkable change in the narrative for the education sector.”
Meanwhile, AYGF Executive Director Dr Arome Salifu, announced the enrollment of 30 indigent children into the LEA Primary School, Karonmajigi, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Salifu explained that the BLOOM is AYGF project, aimed at addressing the issues outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 4.
According to him, the Foundation paid the fees of 65 at-risk pupils in LEA Primary School, Karonmajigi, and also distributed bags, exercise books and pens to the over 100 pupils.
Salifu said: “AYGF is committed to creating a sustainable and impactful model in line with the Almajiri model to improve access to quality education for out-of-school children aged 5-10 in targeted regions of Nigeria.
“The current educational crisis in Nigeria demands a multi-faceted solution like the Almajiri system which was prevalent in the north. Established during the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012, the Almajiri school system was intended to address the educational needs of vulnerable children.
“The Safe Schools Initiative was also launched in 2014 in response to the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, by the Nigerian government and the UN to improve the physical security of schools, enhance psychosocial support for students and teachers affected by violence and promote peace education to counter extremist ideologies.
“While these initiatives exist, funding limitations, sustainability concerns, and the need for strong community engagement continue to be a hurdle.
“The fight for quality education for all requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses security needs and underlying social issues.”
He said with the pre-launch of the BLOOM project, AYGF is dedicated to: “Getting 2 million out-of-school children aged 5-10 in Nigeria back to the classroom by 2030; to increase the capacity of 100,000 teachers in effective teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and child-centred learning approaches within five years.
“To reduce financial barriers to education by benefiting 700,000 households through conditional cash transfers;
“To improve school attendance and cognitive ability of 2 million out-of-school children through a school feeding programme;
“Increase the number of classrooms and learning resources by 10% in out-of-school populated and underserved areas to accommodate a higher enrollment of out-of-school children within 5 years.”